GST Network to begin accepting fresh registrations from June 25

The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) portal which has so far only been accepting requests for migration from the current indirect tax regime to the GST system will now start accepting fresh registrations starting June 25

The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) portal which has so far only been accepting requests for migration from the current indirect tax regime to the GST system will now start accepting fresh registrations starting June 25.

It will also be open from June 25 for a period of three months for existing taxpayers registered under central excise, service tax and value-added tax (VAT), GSTN said in a statement here on Friday.

"Apart from taxpayers who have not yet migrated, new taxpayers who are entering the tax bracket for the first time can also now start registering from June 25. With just seven days to go for the GST implementation, we are certain of a smooth roll out of the regime," Navin Kumar, Chairman, GSTN said.

The registration will also start for Goods and Services Tax (GST) practitioners, Tax Deductors at Source (TDS) and e-commerce operators (TCS), GSTN said in a statement here on Friday.

The GSTN portal was open from November 8, 2016, till April 30, 2017, and then again for 15 days in June for enrolment of existing taxpayers.

Registration with the GSTN is necessary for doing business in the GST regime as businesses will have to upload monthly supply data as well as file return forms on this portal.

"People should not panic. If you are left out, you will get another opportunity because the law says anybody who is registered under taxes which are subsumed under GST if they have a valid PAN then they will be given a valid registration," Kumar said.

"We are going to send provisional registration to 65.5 lakh taxpayers who have validated their email addresses and mobile numbers. Those who have not completed Part-B of the enrolment form, can do so in next three months and get their permanent registration certificate," he added.

The GST referred as the most significant tax reform in India post-independence, would usher in a common national market by doing away with a complex web of local and central taxes and incorporating them into a single levy.

"As the technology provider of the regime, GSTN has been working tirelessly to ensure there are no delays in the commencing of the ambitious indirect tax regime. The GSTN has set up a robust portal already equipped to handle as many as 2.6 billion transactions every month. The GST Common Portal will enable taxpayers to meet the GST compliance requirement like filing returns and making tax payments," the statement said.